All sorts of crazy things!

We started a new season last week, and it's an odd one.  We have six teams in D4, but that may change.  Two of the teams- Ten Blades and Team Friendship are D3 teams that have moved down, but may may move back up...  or not.  If not, it could throw a monkey wrench in the works, since one of our best players, Justin, is also playing for Team Friendship.  We also have a new team in the league this season- The Dahmerators.  We played them in our first game of the season and it was a bit of a blow out.  We beat them 10-1.  We basically stopped trying to score after our 10th goal in the 2nd, and worked on passing and breakouts.  I'm guessing one of the better players on the Dahmeraors decided enough was enough and he went coast to coast in the last few minutes and scored.  Our goalie, Kennean, was pissed he'd missed the shut out.

We played Ten Blast last night.  We played against them in the  combined D3/D4 Summer season last year.  They have some amazing skaters on their team, and really shouldn't be in D4 at all.  It was a physical but relatively friendly game.  The refs were definitely not on our side, though, and  we ended up in the penalty box a lot.  We played our guts out, and got the win- 6-5.  We led through most of the game, because of good defensive play and great goal tending.  At one point the score was 4-1.  Ten Blades were able to capitalize on the power plays.  The last time they scored was on a bogus holding call on Darren.  At that point Ten Blades took their only lead in the game- 4-5.  Right after Darren got out of the box, we scored again, and tied it up.  Of course, on pretty much the very next play, we took another penalty.  In an incredible turn of events though, Darren made up for his time in the box by scoring a short handed goal pretty much right off the face off.  it was pretty cool.  We tightened up defensively for the end of the penalty kill, and on my last shift, I got a cheap shot in the back from the left side defenseman I was playing against, number 20.  He was probably their best skater and he'd been skating circles around me all night.  I did manage to take the puck off his stick a few times, but of the most part, all I did was keep him from holding the puck for too long.  In the last push, he rushed the net and was between me and the net- I was covering a less skilled player on at the top of the circle.  I think it was Tony was down low and was able to get the puck in my direction.  I was able to get control of it, stick handle away from the kid I was playing against and was able to send the puck down the ice.  I had my back to number 20, and he skated at me fast, yelled at me and punched me in the back to keep me from shooting the puck.  I nearly lost control of my legs, but stayed on my skates and got to the bench.  It as my last shift, with about 1.30 left in the game.  Darren scored on the next shift.  They pulled their goalie and we nearly got an empty net goal, but we held on for the win.  Jared made an interesting observation- the beer goes faster when we win.  Undefeated to start the season, but Team America and Punx still to play.

On another note- we've decided to do a jersey redesign.  Besides the 4 or 5 of us with crested sweaters, everyone else on the team wears ratty sky blue practice jerseys.  We have a couple logos were looking at, and may change our colors- my vote is for grey and blue.  Flink and I are doing the leg work.